If we had self-control, we wouldn't have these problems.

So, the problem is, people attach some negativity to this concept of not having self-control. Really though, it's just another character/species "flaw" or trait to be more accurate, and so ... people don't see that it's part of the individual's brain chemistry (not saying there is something called a chemical imbalance)/structure and they have no control over this.

I keep hearing this thing against people that commit a sexual based crime... I mean how is it different for some CEO to have no self-control and steal billions from thousands of people, and someone else that has no self-control and rapes someone... neither is of a "more evil" source... and I'm not condoning these acts but ... starting to lose my working memory here...

So its like that guy says in that book... this gum tastes good... I really like this song that's playing... I wonder if I'm going to go out for a bikeride soon or if I'm going to keep sitting here... I wonder if Amykins will read this ;)... I wonder if anyone cares to hear my stream-of-consciousness....

I'm not so sure it's as easy as you either have self-control or you don't. I don't think (and I'm no expert) that rapists have a self-control issue; from what I understand it's a power issue. However, I do understand where you are coming from.

I think the deal here is the type of crime and the violence inflicted onto another. You wouldn't want each crime to have the same punishments, it just wouldn't be fair. Nobody would stand to have a serial killer with the same sentence as, for example, a shop lifter so what would happen is shop lifters would get the same sentence as serial killers.

Therefore our system is to give each crime a level of severity and unfortunately those lawmakers tend to listen to the money of those thieving CEOs more than the rapists. ;)

hehe, you are the wise one my son... the only one clever enough to see thgough my ruse! :D

Yes you are right but you have the power of perspective...maybe I do and maybe I don't...

But I reralisd you are right...rapist is something else I guess because I could never do it...its like something my brain wont think about so I have no choice...to liken it to an ADHD symptom. So self control is not come into that picture is correct.

How many violent crimes may the CEO cause? Does no one believe in accountability these days? Lol, I may do stupid ****, but at least I have integrety! haha

You need to watch a documentary call, "The Corporation". That's all I'll say; just watch it. That'll get you all fired up.

Dude, I'm lightyears ahead of "Teh Corporation"...I was lightyears ahead of it even when it came out...

Coroporations are pawnsin the game my friend,.

There is also something to be said for the fact that rape and stealing are usually well thought out, patiently planned and executed events. That takes a lot of self control.

I see... i guess i used them cause they are least like me.

So its like that guy says in that book... this gum tastes good... I really like this song that's playing... I wonder if I'm going to go out for a bikeride soon or if I'm going to keep sitting here... I wonder if Amykins will read this ;)... I wonder if anyone cares to hear my stream-of-consciousness....

Did I just pass through your stream of consciousness? :) How did I do that?.... I've never done that before!..... Was I like that mean witch riding the bike on wizard of oz?...... Maybe you don't like me reading your posts...... Maybe you hate my stupid replies to your posts..... I do like gum though.... I want to ride my bike too, but it hurts my knee in cold weather....

This may be more information than anyone wants...

Actually, a relatively large percentage of sex offenders are acting impulsively. A lot of sex crimes are other types of crimes gone wrong, burglaries, for example. There are the ones that plan them out carefully, etc., but the majority of them are just opportunistic. This even includes the child molesters, which you wouldn't think, but it's true.

The other thing that I found interesting (back when I used to represent sex offenders) is that the treatment models that they use for sex offenders are quite similar to treatment for drug/alcohol addiction in that there are certain triggers that will prompt the offender to start to want to get started on the behavior that's a part of their cycles. So a guy who's into, say adolescent girls, might get stressed at work and want to feel better, so he'll look at porn, then he feels guilty about that and stops for a while, then he get's stressed again, and this time he peeps in on a neighbor girl or something... It's very... I don't know... interesting (?? to me, but I'll grant that many would just find it creepy), how the human mind works sometimes.

Anyway. I had, at one point, all of the highest risk sex offenders in my state on my caseload (about 120 at the time; these were all the guys who were going to get full community notification with TV notices, community meetings, the whole nine yards, when they were released, etc.) and of them, very, very, VERY few planned out their crimes, 1% at most. I recall one serial rapist and one multi-victim child molester that I can think of that were pretty calculating. But the rest were all opportunistic and driven by their dysfunctional reactions to stress in their lives.

Doesn't make them any less dangerous. But it's interesting to realize that there's a human in there, too, and to try to understand why that human acts the way he does.

Oh, and the choice of the male gender is intentional. I had 120 of the highest risk men. For each of them, there were probably another 7 or 8 of the lowest risk guys. I had four women TOTAL, at all risk levels.

This may be more information than anyone wants...

Actually, a relatively large percentage of sex offenders are acting impulsively. A lot of sex crimes are other types of crimes gone wrong, burglaries, for example. There are the ones that plan them out carefully, etc., but the majority of them are just opportunistic. This even includes the child molesters, which you wouldn't think, but it's true.

The other thing that I found interesting (back when I used to represent sex offenders) is that the treatment models that they use for sex offenders are quite similar to treatment for drug/alcohol addiction in that there are certain triggers that will prompt the offender to start to want to get started on the behavior that's a part of their cycles. So a guy who's into, say adolescent girls, might get stressed at work and want to feel better, so he'll look at porn, then he feels guilty about that and stops for a while, then he get's stressed again, and this time he peeps in on a neighbor girl or something... It's very... I don't know... interesting (?? to me, but I'll grant that many would just find it creepy), how the human mind works sometimes.

Anyway. I had, at one point, all of the highest risk sex offenders in my state on my caseload (about 120 at the time; these were all the guys who were going to get full community notification with TV notices, community meetings, the whole nine yards, when they were released, etc.) and of them, very, very, VERY few planned out their crimes, 1% at most. I recall one serial rapist and one multi-victim child molester that I can think of that were pretty calculating. But the rest were all opportunistic and driven by their dysfunctional reactions to stress in their lives.

Doesn't make them any less dangerous. But it's interesting to realize that there's a human in there, too, and to try to understand why that human acts the way he does.

Oh, and the choice of the male gender is intentional. I had 120 of the highest risk men. For each of them, there were probably another 7 or 8 of the lowest risk guys. I had four women TOTAL, at all risk levels.

Maybe not planned out for days, but they are still somewhat planned out if they can control themselves enough to get to point A to point B to get what they want. Might mean following someone for 15 minutes, etc. That still takes self control. Impulsive sexual crimes would be the ones where people truly cannot control themselves and molest someone in public, etc. If you take a few minutes to complete the crime in a way that will give you some cover, it's premeditated and planned out, even by a few minutes.

If you take a few minutes to complete the crime in a way that will give you some cover, it's premeditated and planned out, even by a few minutes.

Totally true. Yeah, I didn't mean it in the sense of "irresistable impulse" or anything. I mainly meant opportunistic. I was a little surprised by that when I first started doing that work.

Maybe not planned out for days, but they are still somewhat planned out if they can control themselves enough to get to point A to point B to get what they want. Might mean following someone for 15 minutes, etc. That still takes self control. Impulsive sexual crimes would be the ones where people truly cannot control themselves and molest someone in public, etc. If you take a few minutes to complete the crime in a way that will give you some cover, it's premeditated and planned out, even by a few minutes.

That's true of most crimes but the element of stressors and addiction cannot be emphasized enough. It's true of so many assaults (stress, provoke a fight or receive provocation, lash out), frauds (stress, thrill seeking relieves it), property crimes (vandalism), even simple shoplifting (see Why Honest People Steal (http://www.whyhonestpeoplesteal.com/) - excellent book). I think there's a difference in terms here - instead of "premeditated" or "impulsive" we should be using "compulsive". It reflects the addictive nature of many offences.

very, very, VERY few planned out their crimes, 1% at most. I recall one serial rapist and one multi-victim child molester that I can think of that were pretty calculating. But the rest were all opportunistic and driven by their dysfunctional reactions to stress in their lives.

Yes, "calculating" is the difference between the very rare socio/psychopath and the commonplace criminal "screw up".

Yes, "calculating" is the difference between the very rare socio/psychopath and the commonplace criminal "screw up".

Don't forget the ever crucial inability to empathize with other people, most notably their victims.

Yes to both of you, Blueroo and Gogogo,

The sociopaths really stand out. I can only think of literally a handful in all of the felons that I represented (hundreds over the course of three years). But boy oh boy, those guys were unsettling in the sense that even people within the system who were sort of accustomed to the stories, etc. would/could be drawn in by those guys.

Well, didn't mean to derail the thread so badly. Sorry, Mincan.

Sandy

No problem. what was this thread about again?